Hand in Hand
by cmartlover
Summary: River, now a first-year university student,has always had low expectations for her birthday. But what she certainly doesn't expect is the Doctor filling in for one of her professors, which is not as appealing as it seems. Caught in the moment, he hurts her deeply, even though he really has the best intentions. What will it take for him to restore her trust before it's too late?


**Author's Note: I got the idea for this fic this morning. It's not often that you get to read a fic involving an older Doctor and younger River (university age). So, I thought I'd try it out. I'd always wanted to write a fic where the Doctor popped in at the University and pretended to be one of River's professors. That's how this began. Hope you enjoy it.**

* * *

Clutching her books to her chest, the curly haired woman swerved through a crowd of university students.

She bit her lip, closing her eyes tightly and scolding herself for sleeping through her alarm. Honestly, she hadn't meant to do it, but she supposed it was just another indication that she was over-exhausting herself.

As she continued down the hallway, her eyes briefly glimpsed the rather large window—and more importantly, the scene it portrayed. There, shining like a beacon against the canopy of darkness shown a planet—a beautiful sphere alight with blues and greens and yellows—a place called Earth.

Sometimes her heart clenched painfully at the sight, for it beckoned forth terrible memories that haunted her dreams even now. A lonely little girl living in the late 20th century, left without any hope, her sole purpose to meet her master's needs and fulfill her lifelong mission to annihilate her target, to kill the most evil man in the universe, to murder the one who had stolen everything from her—her childhood, her family.

And then she had escaped her captors, or so she thought, starvation weakening her bones as the days lingered on. The flames enveloped her and she survived; the same lost soul in a strange and unfamiliar body. Regeneration had been an odd experience to say the least, painful, agonizing, like every cell that made her who she was died only to be reborn. On the outside she became a new person, but deep inside Melody Pond buggered on, her drive to find her parents having never been stronger.

It had taken years of searching, she'd even had to slow her body's aging process, but when she saw the young ginger girl and the sandy-haired boy, she couldn't have been happier. And yet, even then, her captors returned, using her relationship with her parents as a gateway to her ultimate objective.

The brainwashing twisted her mind, engraining in her the instincts of an assassin by night, while she learned the virtues of compassion and kindness from her parents by day. Two conflicting images formed, to her kidnappers, her target was the Oncoming Storm, the destroyer of worlds, the Beast, the killer of his own kind, the man Melody Pond hated with her entire being, but to her mother, he was the Raggedy Doctor, the only man who'd ever cared, the funny stranger with a big blue box, the man Mels Zucker secretly wanted to marry. Still, the psychopathic training always triumphed, urging Melody to throw away her future, to manipulate her unknowing parents, to steal a ride in a time machine and murder their best friend.

She'd expected her plan to run smoothly, but then she laid eyes on him for the first time in memory—the Doctor, the man in the bowtie, funny, hot, dashing, suave, ridiculous, mad, wonderful—not at all what her captors had built him up to be. While this had admittedly surprised her, she'd tried to focus on all she'd been taught over the years, to finish what had been started long ago. Unfortunately it all down-spiraled after Hitler fired that lousy shot—forcing her not only to regenerate but to reveal her identity to both her parents and the Doctor. At that point, she knew they'd just lost their baby—Melody, so she expected the news to come as a shock.

What she hadn't anticipated were the looks of recognition on their faces once she'd regenerated into her new body. Even something in the Doctor's eyes had changed—a fire blazed in them that she hadn't seen earlier. If she hadn't been attracted to the man before, she certainly was then. Her blood boiled just looking at him, feeling the intensity of his gaze; it was as if this body had literally been made for this. Post-regeneration hormones raging, she'd kissed him, poison lining her lips, and he'd lingered for a moment, as if it came naturally—which was another thing that had escaped her radar. She could still see his face when she'd revealed the truth, the hurt and sadness that went far deeper than it should have. 'River,' he'd called out, heart-broken, desperation in his voice. Something about the way he'd looked at her had been unnerving. 'River, River, more than a friend, I think.' Her spiteful response held more truth than she'd known.

Hours later, the man lay on the floor of a Berlin hall, grunting in agony as her poison flowed in his veins. He glanced back at his murderer, eyes shimmering with love and pity, not the hatred or resentment she so deserved. Dying on the ground, he begged, pleaded with her to help him, to save her parents. Any normal person would've tried to savor their final moments in peace, but not the Doctor. That man put his friends' interests above his own at the expense of his life—and Melody's heart moved. At his request, she defied her training and rescued her parents, only to watch this incredible man breathe his last, his whispered words of love for this mysterious River Song rippling to her soul. Part of her had known even then, who this woman had to be, but the Teselecta confirmed her suspicions. Melody Pond was River Song. River Song was the woman the Doctor loved. What madness. And when the golden light flowed from her fingers, she'd kissed the man back into existence, her first action as River Song, sacrificing her future lives so that he might live. Because her parents were right, the Doctor was worth it.

But then he'd left her in a hospital far away from the 21st century, leaving nothing but a blue book, a set of clothes, and a small note to guide her to the Luna University.

And here she stood in a building on the moon in the 52nd century, a place she'd never have imagined herself being even a year ago. No longer was she Mels Zucker, the psychopath, the girl who just barely passed her classes, but River Song, the lover of the Doctor, the woman who could accomplish anything she so desired. Only one thing she knew for certain; she had a lot to live up to. And as of right now, that wasn't going terribly well.

"Out of the way, smarty-pants!" the blue-skinned guy shoved himself past her, breaking River out of her daze. He scowled angrily, and River's cheeks burned at the insult.

Startled by the sound of the late bell, she muttered curses under her breath, quickly scrambling to get to her first class of the day—Ancient Studies.

The edge of the burgundy door came into view, and she bolted straight for it, trying to slip into the classroom unnoticed.

That attempt failed, as she battled the scornful stares of her peers, before propping herself into the back-row seat. Thankfully the lecture hall was big enough that her professor might not notice one late student.

Slapping her books atop her desk, River examined the board, her eyes locking onto the date. 4th of June, 5124. For a second she let the numbers sink in, wondering why they seemed so significant, so familiar, and then it dawned on her. Today was her birthday. In all her hurriedness and day-dreaming, she'd completely forgotten. Not that it mattered anyway. She'd yet to have a real, proper birthday.

Her gaze fell down to the assignment listed below. Flipping the pages of her textbook, she opened to the correct page, ignoring the looks of her classmates, who used virtual devices instead. Although she'd been given that option, River had found that hard-copy books suited her better.

Head popping up, she scanned the room, heart thudding as she sat in wait for the professor, fearing that she would be apprehended for her lateness. But then again, Professor Candy was a forgiving man from what she could tell, he fully supported her in decision to have the Doctor as the topic for her thesis, and he'd helped her get into the university in the first place, so she could only hope he'd overlook her mistake this one time.

_Where is he? He should be here by now…_

It was then that she noticed the figure who'd just gotten up from the professor's desk. He was a man all right, with the dress sense of someone out of the 19th century, but certainly _not_ Professor Candy.

River's heart skipped a beat at the sight of the familiar tweed jacket, and she convinced herself she was hallucinating until the man turned around only to confirm her fears. He peered out beneath his fringe, straightening his bowtie in one swift motion, his green-tinged eyes scouring the area and meeting hers briefly. She blushed, a deep red filling her cheeks; she wanted nothing more to cower under her desk and pretend she'd never seen this man in her life.

"Good morning, class! I'm Dr. Smith, your substitute professor for today. I'm afraid Professor Candy called in ill. Right then, the automatic computer system has already taken attendance, so I'd like to get started soon. But first things first. You there, right-hand side of the third row, yes, I'm talking to you, young lady, stand up." His finger pointed directly to her, and River, shocked and infuriated, obeyed hesitantly. She stared at the ground, feeling the warmth filling her skin, running down all the way to her neck. "Hey, you look at me when I'm talking to you! What's your name, Miss?"

_You know my name you stupid idiot. _She fumed, clenching her jaw.

"River Song." She spoke as calmly as possible.

"Ms. Song, did you just walk into this class late?" he began, tapping his foot impatiently, a fake look of annoyance on his face.

Biting her tongue, River forced herself not to say anything rash.

"Yes, _Doctor_." Her voice was sing-songy. Two could play at this game.

"Why were you late?" he placed his hands on his hips, questioning her with a scolding tone. Oh, she was _so_ going to kill him.

Taking a deep breath, River sighed. "I overslept by accident. And I didn't hear my alarm." Her honest remark was met by an eruption of laughter and sneering. It wasn't exactly a new occurrence, but it stung nonetheless.

"And did you think you could just saunter in here unnoticed?"

A couple of people snickered.

River's face burned with embarrassment. She wanted to cry.

"N-No, Sir." She answered weakly.

"Well, I'm afraid that regardless of your intentions, that was unacceptable and I'm going to have to ask that you see me sometime after class. You may be seated, Ms. Song." The Doctor stated, ushering her to return to her seat. Complying, River did as he asked, ignoring the sneers of her peers. 'You had that coming, Song.'

"Okay, now that that's settled, let's move on to the topic for today. The ancient history of the Dundra System. Specifically the 7th planet, also known as Alfava Matraxis. So, first question of the day, what is the name of the race that inhabited this planet prior to human colonization?"

_Well, that's easy, the Aplans. Surely anybody would know that. _

"Any takers?"

Despite knowing the answer, River refused to give him the slightest satisfaction. He'd done enough already.

A few eager students raised their hands. Mostly the ones in the front row.

"You, right there in the middle, yes, you, sir. What was the first indigenous species on that planet?"

"Th-the Aplans, sir."

"Name?"

"I'm Chris Harding." The young man stuttered.

"Well, Mr. Harding, you are certainly correct, well done. Now, for my next question. Not directly tied to what we're talking about. But you'll understand why it's relevant later. What year did humans first successfully settle on a planet besides Earth? You there, young lady, on the left."

"The first non-Earth settlement was on Mars in 2059. Bowie Base One. I'm Liliana Adams, by the way." The girl fluttered her eyelashes at the Doctor, making River want to run to the nearest rubbish bin and puke.

But the man in the bowtie was either too oblivious to realize or else just paid her no mind.

"Thank you, Ms. Adams, that's quite right. And I assume you are all aware that the leader of that mission, Captain Adelaide Brooke, would eventually inspire her granddaughter to begin the first major human exploration." There was a slight waiver in his voice, and River could only guess that he'd somehow been involved in that situation. She almost sympathized, but quickly reminded herself that he'd brought it up in the first place and she had no reason to feel sorry for him.

"Alright. Back to Alfava Matraxis. We know the Aplans were the indigenous lifeforms, but when did they die out and why?" glancing around the room, the Doctor cocked a brow, noting how the class was now less eager to participate. "Hmmm. No- one? I guess it's up to me, then. Ms. Song, stand up and answer my question."

River tried not to glare at him; she'd known this was coming.

"According to recent estimates, the Aplans died out around 4600 AD or so…"

"Excuse me, I asked for a precise date, Ms. Song, not an estimate." He challenged, his words gnawing her patience.

"Well, we know it was likely the early 47th century, so I'd say 4603?" although she attempted to seem confident, River felt unsure of herself. The date wasn't even confirmed in the textbook, so what was she supposed to go on?

"Wrong. 4606." The Doctor grinned, glad to have stumped her.

"So what, three years off?"

"A lot can happen in three years, Ms. Song. Now, tell me _why_ the Aplans died out."

The whole class sat in silence as River pondered his question. She could see by his face that he was deliberately trying to test her, and that just made her all the more eager to prove him wrong.

River gulped.

"I…It's…I mean, the cause of extinction is unknown."

"That's not an answer, Ms. Song."

"I don't know, then. The textbook doesn't say." Her eyes met his and she wished more than anything that she could wring his neck with that bloody bowtie.

"And since when do we trust a textbook for accurate information? Just tell me what _you_ think."

"Um…well…we know that humans didn't colonize until the planet was terraformed 200 years after the Aplans died out, so humans could not have been the cause…perhaps the Aplans died of plague or something…or maybe…another alien species that we don't know about took over…"

The Doctor almost kept a straight face, but she watched the subtle changes in his expression as she neared the end of that hypothesis. He was impressed.

"Hmm. You may be closer to the truth than you think, Ms. Song. And who knows, perhaps you'll find out one day." Flashing a quick wink in her direction, the man in the bow tie seemed to be implying something.

_Did he seriously just embarrass me in front of the entire class only not to tell me the answer to the question he asked in the first place?_

Her cheeks burned at the thought.

"Have you got any more questions for me _Dr. Smith_?" she annunciated his 'name' with a feigned sweetness.

"No, that would be all for now, Ms. Song." With a wave of his hand, he dismissed her.

"May I take my seat, now, _sir_?" River inquired, hand trudging through her curls.

She could feel the intensity of the Doctor's stare; the way his gaze fixed on her.

"Huh? What, sorry, can you repeat that?"

"I said; may I take my seat now, _sir_?"

"No. Why would you want to destroy the view?" his green-tinged eyes made River's insides squirm.

"The view?"

Several students began talking amongst themselves, muttering things that River would rather not have heard.

Looking around sheepishly, the Doctor suddenly realized what he'd just suggested.

"What? Did I say that? I meant, well, can't you see better standing up?" his fingers scratched his cheek.

"_Doctor. I would like to sit down, please."_ River clenched her teeth.

"Yes, yes, of course, you may sit down, Ms. Song." He cast her a worried glance, but she chose to ignore him.

After that unfortunate incident, the Doctor decided not to ask any further questions and instead babbled on about the human colonization of Alfava Matraxis and something about the crash of a spaceship; honestly River wasn't listening, too busy eyeing the Doctor like a hawk and making him as uncomfortable as possible. And yet he managed to gather himself together again, even going so far as to shoot flirty looks in her direction.

When the bell rang, River had never been so relieved in her life.

In the corner of her eye, she could see the Doctor's hopeful expression.

"Ms. Song, remember, I asked to see you after class…"

But River tuned him out, sneaking into the hoard of people and exiting as quickly as she could.

"But Ms. Song…" the Doctor sounded desperate and pitiful, his high-pitched voice lost amid the students' gawking.

The guy who'd bumped into her earlier snickered.

"Ooh, caught the eye of another teacher, eh, Song?"

"Shut. Up." River spat, angry tears threatening to spill out.

Turning away, she refused to give into emotion and veered toward her next class.

* * *

By lunch time, River had finished her classes for the day and her situation had not improved in the slightest. Her classmates continued their mockery, but what else was new?

She felt sick to her stomach; even the vague idea of eating seemed galling.

So instead of going to the cafeteria, River settled in the one place she felt most secure—her sanctuary, her nook—the University Library.

Knowing she had her finals for the semester fast approaching, she took her study material and propped herself in a quiet, secluded area.

She'd always found solace in libraries, something about being surrounded by the smell of books appealed to her senses, reenergized her.

Breathing deeply, River leaned against the soft, cushioned chair, shoulders relaxing as she picked up her archaeology book.

As Mels she would have never thought to study, what, with all her training behind the scenes, and her constant biding for her parents' attention, but now she had aspirations, she strove to get her Doctorate in Archaeology. She couldn't accomplish that feat without putting forth the effort.

This particular book wasn't as dull as she'd initially expected, in fact, with all the stimulating visuals and concrete language, she actually enjoyed learning from it**. **

Flipping to the first section, River skimmed the chapter headings, trying to commit the information to memory. Of course, her Time Lord biology did have its perks; she naturally recalled facts that humans might not glean so easily. She also understood high level concepts on all academic arenas; it just happened that her interests lay in the archaeological field.

But right now, she couldn't retain anything; she reread the words over and over again, the repetition only numbing her brain.

Her mind kept falling back to the image of him—the Doctor—her chest heaved as she remembered the things he'd said today.

Wanting to dwell on something else, River placed her books on the chair and went to get herself a coffee.

She returned a few minutes later to see a small note perched atop her books.

Odd, she was fairly certain that hadn't been there when she left.

With shaky hands, River picked up to tiny paper, her eyes skimming over the all-too-familiar handwriting.

'Come meet me for lunch? X' it read simply. Her heart pounded at the Doctor's message. But reason triumphed in the end.

_Is he serious? After humiliating me in front of my peers and asking me to stay after class, he still expects me to go for this? What the hell is wrong with him? He's ruined my day enough already…_

Ripping the note into shreds, the curly- haired student deposited it in the nearest recycling bin.

Bored with studying and knowing she was too distracted to be productive anyway, River meandered around the elaborate shelves of books, hoping to find one that might occupy her for a couple hours.

* * *

"Did you give her the note?" the man in the bowtie asked nervously of River's roommate.

"Yes, Doctor…what was it again?"

"Just the Doctor is fine. But do you know if she's coming?" his hands shuffled through his hair as he spoke.

"I don't know. I mean, River doesn't really like to eat in here most of the time. I expect she'd rather stay in the library. She's always turned down anyone I know who's asked her on a date. And aren't you a professor here?" the blonde girl wondered.

He curled his fingers around his mouth, leant in, and whispered.

"Let me tell you a little secret. I'm not really part of the staff at all. I sort of snuck in today to see River. It's her birthday and I never miss her birthday."

"Really? She never told me it was her birthday. Well, good luck, mate. No guy I've known has ever been successful with River. She turns them all down."

"Well, I'm not anyone." His hearts leapt as he thought of older River—his wife. This River still had all of that ahead of her.

"I've gotta run, mate. Lemme know if you need any more help. I'll do anything for a friend. Especially considering it's her birthday."

"Thank you." The Doctor mumbled, watching as the girl left.

His legs dangled from the chair and he swung them about, attempting to entertain himself.

He'd tried to invite River to lunch earlier; that was why he'd given her such a hard time about lateness; it would've been the perfect opportunity to ask her out. Not that he normally had to do that with River, the Doctor usually just picked her up on her nights in Stormcage without issue, but this River, the student, not his wife, she was very young, unsure of herself.

Hoping to meet her in the cafeteria, the Doctor had then planned to take her to a quiet place on campus where they could have a nice picnic. He'd even taken the time to make her favorite foods (and to his surprise, the skills he'd learned from Julia Child actually paid off).

If only she would show up.

His hearts sagged a little as he saw the majority of the students exiting the cafeteria, many of them had afternoon classes to get to, he supposed.

_Come on, River. I just want to do something nice for you…_

He remembered how beautiful she'd looked earlier, standing in front of her classmates like that; the one brilliant light shining among the mass. River had always loved a challenge, so he'd been harder on her than the others.

What he didn't understand was why she'd fled the room so quickly afterwards—he hadn't gone about it the wrong way had he?

* * *

Hours later, River stopped at her dorm, exhaustion and depression taking over.

Reading had helped distract her for a bit, but somehow the thought of a certain man in a bowtie managed to penetrate her focus. Why did she have to be in love with such an idiot?

She noticed her roommate tearing something off the front of the door.

"What are you doing?" River's voice came out weaker than anticipated.

"Oh, nothing, just, you know…"

One glance at the writing on the torn papers sent a wave of pain through River's heart.

'Slut.' 'Teacher's Pet.' 'Stupid.' 'Smart-alec' 'Ugly.'

These were among the words that had been pasted to the door.

"Those—those are about me, aren't they?" River choked.

Sherri, her roommate, her only real friend at university, gave her a sympathetic look.

"River…"

"No, Sherri, I know they're intended for me…"

"But you don't deserve that kind of treatment. I know you River, and they're wrong about you."

Trembling, River tried to control her emotions.

"River, here, I have this note for you."

Sherri handed her a bit of paper.

'Come meet me for dinner. Please, River. X.'

"That idiot." She muttered under her breath. "Who gave this to you?" River demanded, despite already knowing the answer.

"This man—the Doctor or something. He asked me to give you a note earlier too. Did you see it?"

"I…I ripped it up."

"Oh, well, that settles it then. I warned him he wouldn't have any luck with you. Shame, he really seemed like a nice guy. He looked heartbroken when you didn't come to lunch." It was spoken so genuinely that River knew Sherri wasn't lying.

Heart throbbing, River processed her friend's words.

"Did he, now?"

"Yeah. Said something about not being just anyone. Seemed to believe he had a chance with you."

A wave of guilt shot through her, but she soon suppressed it.

"Where'd he say he wanted to meet me?"

"In the library, I thought. And then maybe you'd go somewhere afterwards?"

_Well, tough, Doctor. I've been in there for hours. And I'm not going back. But I can't stay here either._

"River, where're you going?"

"To get some air," she explained, barely looking back as she walked along the hallway.

* * *

Once she'd gotten to the Luna University garden, River sat herself on a bench where she had a spectacular view of the planet above.

The garden—or room, rather, resembled a greenhouse, but in reality it was a self-contained eco-pump, with oxygen levels mirroring that of Earth's outdoor environment. Lovely green plants and colorful flowers sprouted from the artificial soil, and a part of her felt at home.

She tilted her head and gazed up at the distant world, the place she'd lived for so many years. Her eyes fell over the specks of light, the bright stars that shone atop the dark sky. Somewhere out there, on an asteroid called Demons Run, an unsuspecting mother was giving birth to a baby. A girl who would be used as a weapon—forgotten, forsaken.

"I thought I might find you here." His calm voice shook her to the very core, bringing back memories from this morning.

Her body quivered; she honestly didn't know what to do. So, out of habit, she ignored him, focusing on the scene above.

"River, please, talk to me…"

_"Well, I'm afraid that regardless of your intentions, that was unacceptable and I'm going to have to ask that you see me sometime after class. You may be seated, Ms. Song."_

His words still rippled through her mind, taunting.

"River…"

The feelings of shame and embarrassment returned and she mustered all her ill will towards him, before thrusting her hand against his cheek.

"OW! RIVER!" he stroked the area where she'd slapped him. "What is _wrong_ with you today? Why didn't you see me after class like I asked? Why didn't you come to lunch? Why didn't—"

"Why didn't I want to make a bigger fool of myself after you'd humiliated me in front of the entire class, not once, but twice, TWICE, Doctor? Let's see, you called me out for being late, even though you, if I recall, haven't had the best track record yourself, 5 minutes, you said? More like 14 years! And you really had the nerve to insult my intelligence and make me look stupid in front of all my peers because you think it's funny? And then, oh, can't forget this bit, you tell me I can't sit down because you're enjoying the view? Did I mention this was in front of the entire class? Now, you know what everyone thinks? Hmm? They think I'm a slut who tries to get it on with a teacher. They already hate me enough as it is, and what did I see on my door when I got home today? Words like 'stupid' and 'ugly' and 'teacher's pet' and 'smart-alec' and 'slut,' and you know the worst part about it is? I know they're right." Her resolve crumbled by the end of that statement and she burst into tears, the droplets skidding down without fail.

She felt a strong hand grip hers, but she didn't resist, too distraught to fight back.

"Oh, River…" his bottom lip trembled. "I…I…I…am…so…so…sorry…"

_No, you're not. You don't care. You're just lying. Rule one._

But one look at the Doctor's face told her otherwise. His own eyes seemed glossy.

"Wh-why did you to that to me? D-do y-you just set out to make me feel miserable?"

"N-no, River, of course not…why…how…could you even…River?"

"What were you thinking?" she demanded.

"I…River…I thought you might like it if I dropped in on one of your classes—you know, I—I guess I got carried away…all…all…I wanted was to maybe, I don't know, wind you up a bit, so then you'd be happier about what I really wanted to do for you. The only reason I asked you to come after class was so I could ask you to lunch…I…I…never meant…to hurt you…it's your birthday, I wanted to make it special, do something different, something nice…"

"It's…it's okay…this is how my birthdays have always been…and I guess…it just reminds me of who I really am…stupid, ugl—"

It was then that the Doctor practically grabbed her face, imploring her to meet his eyes.

"River. My River. Don't you dare say that about yourself. I don't know who would say such stupid, malicious things about you, but they're wrong. So completely wrong. You're beautiful, River. In every way imaginable. You're brilliant. You're loyal. Please, I…I can't bear to hear you talk with that kind of self-loathing. Don't turn yourself into me. I'm so sorry I propagated this…it's my fault, all I wanted was to give you a good birthday…I'm sorry…" he was crying now, his green eyes swimming with tears.

"I…I forgive you…Sweetie." River whispered to him, heart in her throat.

Bending down, the Doctor placed a light kiss on her forehead.

"If…If you want me to go, that's…that's fine…I've…I've messed up everything as it is…I…"

"No. Please…stay." She ran her hand along his cheek.

"Are—are you sure because—"

"Yes, I'm sure you idiot. I think I realize now that you really are just incredibly stupid when it comes to certain romantic gestures, even though you do start with the best intentions…"

Sucking in a breath, the Doctor reached into a small basket he had beside him.

"Dinner?" he asked sheepishly.

"Wh-what's this?" she grasped the chicken anbeta salad, and watched as the Doctor pulled out a series of other foods.

Watermelon, steak, pasta…all things she loved.

"I…I made this stuff for you, River. It might be a little cold, cos I'd originally intended to give it to you at lunch, but…"

"Y-You made all this, for me…"

"Yeah, sorry I'm not the best cook, but…"

"Are you kidding? This is _divine_…" taking a bite of the salad, River hummed in delight.

"And that's not all…I've got a few presents for you…"

He put his hand in his pocket and grasped three wrapped gifts.

"Don't tell me you wrapped these yourself."

"Well, I guess Amy helped me, but I tried…here, this one's from Amy and Rory. Open it."

And she did just that, removing the 'happy birthday' wrapping paper to reveal a childhood drawing that Amy had done of the three of them, Mels, Amy and Rory. There was a card attached.

"Amy and Rory are sorry they couldn't come. But you know it's not easy for them…they're pretty busy these days, I only travel with them every once in a while."

"Tell them I love this." River smiled at the Doctor, eyes still teary.

"Um…I…uh…got you a few things too…I…I don't know…if you'll like them but…"

The Doctor handed her another package, and she opened it, gasping at the sight of the well-worn book.

"The History of the Time War…" River read in awe.

"Yeah. Just a little something I wrote a while back. You know. Thought it might be useful, since you're studying me for your thesis and everything…I don't know…maybe it was a dumb idea…"

"Oh, shut up, I love it."

"Well, here's another one…well, two really, I just wrapped them together."

River pulled the shimmering blue dress out of the bag, her face glowing.

"Oh, Sweetie, this is beautiful…"

"I…I know Amy left you a bunch of short skirts…thought you might need something more River-ish…for when…well…for when we go on dates and stuff. You'll look great in it, I promise. And River, there's one last thing in there…"

Her hands ran over the smooth surface of a picture frame.

In the photo she saw the Doctor, herself, Amy, and Rory, all looking slightly older. They all seemed so content, so happy, like a family.

"This is maybe a bit of a spoiler, but not really. It's from your future. But you told me that you'd seen the picture before. I just…I just want you to know that however hard it gets…there's always something to strive for…something wonderful ahead…"

"Thank you…so much." Tears poured from her eyes, but now she cried for a whole different reason entirely. "This…this…is just…I don't…I don't even know…what to say…" River sniffled, turning her face away from him.

"Then let me help you." Tipping River's chin, the Doctor leaned in, pressing his lips softly against hers, lingering for a few blissful seconds before drawing back.

River's cheeks burned.

"You are so beautiful when you blush." He admitted to her, voice low and shaky.

That of course made matters worse, at least for River.

She glanced at the food the Doctor had cooked, and she looked up at him, smiling shyly.

"Are…are you married…Doctor?" River began, somewhat apprehensive.

"Are you asking?" the Doctor chuckled, quoting her future self's response to that exact question from him.

"Yes." Her eyes shimmered.

"Yes." His answer was firm, confident.

"Wait—hang on, did you think I was asking you to marry me, or—or asking if you were married? Because this is the 52nd century, but I was raised in the 21st, so I don't think…"

"Yes." He grinned.

"But is that a yes, or _yes_?"

"Yes." The Doctor bopped her nose and kissed her lightly on the lips.

"Doctor…"

"Spoilers, River."

"But that picture…"

"Yes, I know, now hush…you still have a lot ahead of you…and right now I can't give you a straight answer, but you'll understand one day…"

Leaning against his shoulder, River sighed contentedly.

"Thank you again. For everything."

"Everything? I'm pretty sure I ruined most of your day."

"Actually you made it one of the best. I've…I've never had a proper birthday before…"

"Well, then, River Song, take this from me, this is only the start, there are so many more to come, and they'll only keep getting better and better." He stroked the side of her face lovingly.

And they sat there, hand in hand, on a bench in a garden at the Luna University, the stars shining above them, beacons of hope, testaments of the future, promises of what was to come, a life that River had only dreamed about but would one day experience with this impossible man, who had shown his love in the simplest of ways, this man who, quite fittingly, she would love with equal intensity and one day call her husband.

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